Soap trimmer



March 29, E. REDDERT ET SOAP TRIMMER Filed March 21, 1944 2 Sheeos-Sheet 2 INVENTORS EHRL J. REDDERT BY %MMW A TORNEY Patented Mm. 29, 1949 SOAP TRIMMER Earl J. Reddert, Madison, and William Sartorius,

Summit, N. J., assignors to Colgate-Palmolive- Peet Company, Jersey City, N. J a corporation o! Delaware Applieation March 21, 1944, Serial N0. 527,504

A 8 Claima.

This invention relates to a. device for prepositioning soap blanks an feed conveyor belts o1 a soap press, and, more particularly to a soap trimmer.

II: has long been the custom in the soap industry to introduce a rectangular or cylindrical blank of soap of much smaller dimensions into the soap press die box. In making a milled toilet soap, for example, a strip of the milled soap, generally having either a substantially rectangular 01' circular cross section, is extruded contlnuously from a plodder. This strip ls cut, for example in an automatic cutter,- into Shorts blanks having the form of rectangular parallelepipeds or rlght cylinders. When such blanks are pressed in the die box, there is great distqrtion of the soap flbres resulting from the very considerable flow necessary to shape the blank to conform with the dies. This dlstortion is evidenced by the stretched appearance of the lettering on the bar, the lines of cleavage of the soap within the bar, and the closure marks an the ends.

We have found that soap blanks should be slzed and shaped to fit the die box of the soap press as closely as possible.- In accordance with the present invention, the soap blank, before entering the die box, is trimmed to approximately the size, shape and contour cf the finished cake. The apparatus embodying the present invention is particularly adapted for use incombination with an automatlc soap cutter, for cutting the strip extruded from a. plodder into approximately correct size. and an automatic press for giving the trimmed cake the desired final shape and flnish.

It is among the objects of the present Invention to provide a machine for trimmlng soap to form blanks sized and shaped to fit the die box of a. soap press as closely as practicable, whereby the blanks may be readily pressed into finished cakes without excessive distortion and strain and with a minimum of scrap soap.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for convertlng a single conveyor line of soap or other articles into two conveyor lines on which the artlcles will have a desired spacing.

Other objects and advantages 015 the inVentlon will be apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary isometrlc pro- .iection showing the essential elements of the machine, Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the line 2-2 cf Fig. 3, and Fig. 3 ls a fragmentary horizontal sectional view along the line 3-3 o1 Fig. 2.

Reierring now more particularly to the drawings, the apparatu's o1 the invention comprises two side frames, only one of which is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings and which is designated by reference numeral 2. The side frames are connected at the top by cross bars 4 and G. On a shaft 8, suitably journaled in the side frames 2, is mounted a pulley III around which a con-.

a chute I4 secured to but spaced from the slde frame by brackets I6. The chute preferably is made in two pieces and comprises a channel section I'I' and a removable cover I8. Near the top of the chute I4 and just above the level of the conveyor belt I2, the ahnte side walls are provided with aligned openings 20. Trlmmer elements or dies 2I are secured withln the chute. The trimmer elements may comprise cutter supports 22 on whlch cutter blades 24 are removably fastened by machine screws 26. The trimmer elements may be individually mounted a1: each corner of the openings 20, or they may be mounted an a frame and removably positloned as a unit within the chute. Several exchangeable sets of trimmer elements for cutting blankS of different slzes and shapes may be provided to adapt the machine for trimming a variety of blanks. A stop 21 is provided, as illustrated in Fig. 3, above the conveyor belt I2 and in line with articles moving toward it on the belt. A convenient method of mounting is to secure the stop 21 to the removable cover I8 an one of the chutes as illustrated in Fig. 3. The stop preferably is made adjustable for stopping the llne of untrimmed soap blanks at the desired location in alignment with the trimmer elements 2I.

A cross head 28 is reciprocally mounted 011 a support rod 30 and cross bar 4 above the tops o1 the chutes I4. Secured to the cross head is a soap pusher 32, of inverted T-shape, the head of the pusher being about the size of the untrimmed soap blank. The cross head carries at one side a rack 34 meshing with a gear segment 35 mounted on an oscillating shaft 38 journaled in the cross bar Ii.

Take-away 01 delivery conveyors 39 are provided between the chute I4 and the side frame 3 2 at each side o! I:he machine. Inst below tbe level o! cne alizned openinu 2I. These conveyor: eoxnprin a shait II. nuitably Ioumaled in tbe eide iranaes 2, on which pulleys I2 are mounted. conveyor belts II run around the pulleys I2. Only one set 01 pulleys I2 in shown in the drawings, 'it beim: understood that similar pulleys are provided at the other end oi' the conveyor. 'Ihe take-away conveyor: II may carry the trimmed aoap blanks directly I:o the soap press, but in many cues the distance aeparatin: the take-away conveyors II is greater than the width o! the die box 01 I;he press. In auch cases, lt in advantageous to provide additional conveyor belt.s whlch axe spaced apart a di stance corresponding wlth the width o! the die box. Such conveyor: may comprise a shaii: II, suitably journaled in the side irames 2, on whlch pulleys II are mounted. Similar pulleys (not shown) are provlded on the soap press at the other end o! the conveyor. Conveyor belts II are mounted on these pulleys II. Manns (not shown) are provided for transferring soap blanks t.o conveyor III irom conveyor II. Means (not shown) are providecl i'or drivinz he rotating shafts I, II und II und ior oscillatin: theshaft II in timed relation. 'I'he rotatlni sbaits may all be driven at the Same speecl or, ii. deslred, the shaits II and/or II may be driven at a speed diflerent irom that o! shaft I.

Operation A series of untrimmed blanks 01 soap. e. 2.. Irom an automatic soap cutter, are carried b? the Ieed conveyor belt I2 into the machlne until the first blank strikes the stop 21. AI; this time the gear segment 38 oscillates to reciprocate the cross head 28. The soap pusher I2 eng-ages the blank against the .stp and pushes lt throuzh the opening 20 in the removable cover II of one of the chutes II into the trimmer elements 2I. A: soon as the s0ap pusher has reclprocated out oi. the line 01 the other untrlmxned blanks on the conveyor belt I2, the line o: blanks advances until the lead blank strikes -the stop 21. 'I'he shafl: II then oscillates in the oi;her direction, reciprocat- Ing the cross head and Dusher in the othex direction, whereby the lead soap blank is pushed through the openlng 20 in the removable cover II oi the other ahnte I I into -the trimmer elements 2I therein. The line oi blank; on the convesror belt I2 advances. as already described. untll the lead blank engazes the stop 21. 'Ihe ahnt: II now oscillates in the direction ilrst descrlbed, causinc the soap pusher I2 to urze a second untrimmed blank Ibrough the openinz II o! the ilrst mentioned ahnte und elect the flr.st blank from the =triznmer elements and deposit lt on the take-away conveyor I9. On its return stroke, the pusher forces a second untrimmed soap blank into the trimmer elements of the second mention-ed chute and ejects the blank which is held in the trimmer onto the take-away conveyor on that slde of the machine. In passing through the trimmer elements 2I in the chutes II, the blanks are trimmed the deslred amount to provide a trimmed blank corresponding as closely as practicable fno the shape of the die. 'Ih scrap soap which is trimmed from the blanks falls down through the chut.es to receptacles (not shown) and may then be reworked.

II: will be seen that feed conveyor I2 und each delivery conveyor II are spaced apart a distance at least equal to the Ishickness of a soap bar blank and that lt requires at least two strokes of pusher 32 in each direccion 190 transfer a soap blank be- 4 twoentbeconveym.tbeilrslntrokepusbingtbo biankinto flietrimmerdie2l andtheuceeedin: stroke in t.be ume direction causin: a aneeaodgblanktodisplacetheilrstbltnkthrouthth 'Il1e apparatus m1 be und u a m-Pcsitioner ior man blank: v;rithout trimming hexe the sinne 01 the untrimmed blanke appromimates the ubape o! the dle closely enouzb ior utisiactory opera- I:ion. It will be understood, o! course, tbat IP- parn.tua deakmed simply u a pre-nositionu would noI; require the clmbes II anti the IOIP trimmer elements II.

Although the 'apparatus has been described in oonnection with certain speciilc emb0diments. it will be understood that modiilcations and variations are contemplated witbin tbe wope 01 tbo following claims.

We elaiiii:

l. Apparatu.g f0i' automatically shapin: blanh o! soap or the llke preliminary to die preedn: each blank comvrisinz a continuously mcvvable Ieed conveyor for av;lvancinga close succession o! pre-cut blanks into said apparatus. a take-awu conveyor at one slde cf the ieed conveyor. a positioning stop in the path of I:he blank: on I:he feed conveyor means ior laterally transterring the blank an the ieed conveyor which in in contact wlth said stop onto the take-away conveyor. und die means for trimmlng the blank during said transi'er irom the Ieed conveyor to tbe take-away conveyor said stop arresting movement ot tl1e leading blank relative bo said feed conveyor so a: to ma.intain that blank in transverse le8i8tly with said die means until said transier takes place.

2. Apparatus for automatically shaping blank: oi' soap er the like -preliminary to die pressin: comprising a. feed conveyor for advancinz a. close successl0n of pre-cut blanks into said anparatus. a take-away conveyor ai: each slde 01 the teed conveyor, a positloning stop in the p'ath 01 the blanks an the feed conveyor. means movable across said feed conveyor a.nd engazing each leading blank as the latter is positioned by said stop for transierring alternate blanks Irom said leer! conveyor to the respectiva take-away conveyors. and die means for trimming the blanks durin: transfer irom the feed conveyor to tb.e take-away conveyors.

3. A soap -nrimmer comprising man: i'or ieeding a row o: pre-cut soa bar blank: in eine suceession alonc u. predetermined path. blank trimming dies on opposite sides 01 said path. und transter means operable in tlmed relation witb said teedlng means ior pushing alternate blank: 015 said row through said respective blank trimming dies.

4. A soap trimmer comprising a ifeed conveyor. a chute mounted at each side of said feed conveyor, said chutes having aligned openings above I;he level o: said ieed conveyor, trimmer elements mounted in said chutes in alignment with said openings, a. stop in -the path of articles on said feed conveyor for stopping articles in alignment with said trimmer elements, a reciprocatinc cross head mounted above said chutes a soap pusher secured to said cross head. means to reciprocate said cross head and pusher, and meuins to convey trimmed cakes o! soap ejected from said trimmer elements.

5. Apparatus for handling soap bar blanks und like articles comprising a. continuously movable feed conveyor disposed between two take-away conveyors, trimming dies i'or said b'anks disposed between said feed. conveyor und each oi said 5 tanke-was -conveyors. und man: operablc in timed relatlon to sald :feed conveyor' tor transrerring aIternate blanks froxn sa.id feed conve!or thro'ugb sa.ld trimmlng dies onto the respective take-away conve!0rs.

6. Apparatus for handllng s01\1 bar blanks and the' llke oomprlslng a contlnuously .movable .feed conveyor 1or advanclng a successlon of .Pre-cut b1a-nks. a take-away conveyor a acent -sald 1eed c0nveyor, a. trimming die Ior -saidblsnks disposed 10 between seid conveyors, means Ior -stopplng the leadlng .blan'kon said feed conveyor m alicnment wlth sa.ld trlmmlng die, und meansreclprocated across -sa1d .teed oonveyor Ior Dushln1r sald allmed blank (mm sa'ld.teed conveyor through seid trim- -mln: dlq onto. :sald dal1 vmr :connyor sald'1eed 6- conveyor alipplng. beneath said lea.di ng: blank when the latter 1s stopped in allgnment wlth sald trlmminc die.

EARL J. REDDERT.

WILLIAM SAR'I'ORIUS.

REFERENCES CI'I'ED The followlng references. aie o! record in the flle of this patent:

UN1IED STATES- PA'I'ENIS' Number Name Du.te 1.157,862 Gerbsch Oct. 26, 1915 1.455,258 McGxeer et all M83 15. 1923 X5 2.362.058 Emersoxr Nov. 7. 1944 2.373,593 Pease ;Apr. 10, 1945 

